Travel

Autumn Leaves Light Up Gifu Highway

GIFU, Nov 07 (News On Japan) - Autumn foliage has reached its peak along the Hida-Mino Seseragi Highway, which connects Takayama City and Gujo City in Gifu Prefecture.

The Hida-Mino Seseragi Highway is a 65-kilometer scenic driving route linking Kiyomi in Takayama and Hachiman in Gujo. Although the intense summer heat had raised concerns about delayed color changes, recent cold weather has finally brought the leaves to their most vibrant stage.

At elevations between 800 and 1,000 meters, trees along the roadside have turned vivid shades of red and yellow. On November 6th, with clear skies and mild weather, many tourists drove along the route, parked their cars to stroll among the trees, and captured the stunning scenery with their cameras.

The autumn colors are expected to gradually descend to lower elevations and remain visible until late November.

Source: Nagoya TV News

China Advises Against Travel to Japan

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory on November 14th, urging Chinese citizens to avoid visiting Japan for the time being, citing “serious safety risks” to Chinese nationals following Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency.

Fujii Becomes Youngest Lifetime Triple Crown Holder in Shogi History

Shogi champion Sota Fujii, who defended his title in the prestigious Ryuo Tournament, expressed his joy on November 11th after becoming the youngest player in history to qualify for the lifetime title of "Eisei Ryuo" (Lifetime Ryuo).

Japan Plans to Triple Departure Tax to 3,000 Yen

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy committee has drafted a resolution calling on the government to raise the “departure tax” to secure funds for overtourism countermeasures. The proposal seeks to increase the current 1,000 yen per-person levy to 3,000 yen, and to set the rate at 5,000 yen for travelers using business class or higher.

Tokyo Issues Influenza Epidemic Warning for First Time in 16 Years

Tokyo Metropolitan Government issued an influenza epidemic warning on November 13th after the number of reported cases reached the alert threshold, marking the first such announcement in November in 16 years.

Russia Bans 30 More Japanese Nationals

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on November 11th that it has decided to impose an indefinite entry ban on 30 Japanese nationals as a countermeasure against what it called Japan’s “hostile policies” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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